Welcome To The Lakeview Day Care Center in Waterloo, IL

Our Lakeview Day Care Center location has two infant rooms. We begin care at six weeks of age. Children are enrolled in our infant room until they turn 15 months and become a toddler. Children at this age are developing so rapidly and the bond they develop with their teacher is pertinent to their learning and brain development.

We cannot emphasize the importance of early relationships with caring, loving individuals that understand the impact that our early experiences have on us.

At Children First, the infant room schedule is flexible. These little ones need to mirror the schedule they are on at home. Our teachers work hard each day to establish a relationship with both you and your child. Teachers will communicate with parents on a daily basis to share information on their child’s day.

This location has two toddlers rooms, children aged 15-24 months. We fondly refer to our toddlers as wobblers for the sweet little way they tend to get around. We often refer to this classroom as the “Wobblers”. Everything that happens in a child’s life is meaningful and this age is no different!

Social/Emotional development continues to drastically develop in these little ones. They begin to assert their independence; while they are still very dependent on their teachers.

Our teachers understand that these children have not yet developed to a point where they can remember rules. Everything they feel is intense and strong. They may have new fears. Children at this age are egocentric and their attention span is short. This is typically the age when the dreaded biting stages can occur. Approaching this behavior as natural and by addressing what is causing the reaction to bite; we can curb this and move quickly through the stage.

This is such a special age at our Waterloo IL child care center. While these children are really starting to mimic the behaviors of adults in their life, they are still rather self-centered and sometimes struggle to share. This age is often characterized as a tough age; by establishing good routines and providing an enriching environment we can help them to learn how to exert this in a positive way. They are even more independent than they were in their previous class. Teachers will help them to express their feelings and wishes; learn how to coordinate and use their large and small muscles for even more complex tasks; and learn the many different skills to prepare for preschool.

Our Lakeview location has two Waterloo IL preschool classrooms. Our teachers plan their day based around The Creative Curriculum. This curriculum offers a child centered classroom that aligns directly with The Illinois State Board of Education’s Early Learning Standards  https://www.isbe.net/Documents/early_learning_standards.pdf

We believe that a solid educational foundation should include cognitive, physical, & social-emotional development. With this foundation, children will become more successful in their future school life. Upon enrollment at the center, your child will be screened within 30 days for any developmental delays or concern areas of development that we will want to focus on. Quarterly your child will be assessed, these results are shared with parents.

Children have an opportunity to engage in activities which promote social interaction and life skills. Examples include, self-serve lunch, leadership roles within the classroom and special daily jobs. From time-to-time, our center will adjust our procedures to comply with the latest health and safety guidelines. Additionally, the children will spend time during the day in centers where they have the chance to explore all areas of learning.